Accessibility in the News – December 7, 2018

Accessibility in the News— 12/07/18

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AITN Quote of the Week

George Bush will be viewed by people with disabilities and their families as the Abraham Lincoln of their experience.” “Abraham Lincoln, we have viewed him as the leader for people of color…George Washington, we have viewed him as the leader for (seeing) people equally…from (Bush’s) standpoint, I’ve heard him say that the ADA is the piece of domestic policy that is most significant, long-lasting and one he’s most proud of.”

National News (U.S.)

How the Americans with Disabilities Act could affect Native American voters

Donna Semans pulled over at a food cart near a watermelon stand on a dusty turnout to ask directions. She ordered a snowcone topped with diced pickles and powdered Koolaid, a specialty to the Navajo Nation known as a piccadilly. “Not bad,” Semans said, plastic spoon in hand. “When you’re on the road, a pickle really hits the spot.” She handed a poster in Diné and English to the woman inside that read “Béesó bee’ niiaah dooleeł!” or “Get paid to get out the vote!” With two weeks to Election Day, Semans was traveling around Arizona from gas stations to flea markets to local chapter houses, hoping to get Navajo voters to the polls…

He’s Helping The Blind ‘See’ Their Work — And Become Engineers

Josh Coffee is not blind, and he didn’t spend much time thinking about the challenges blind students face while he was growing up. In fact, as an engineering major at the University of Vermont in 2011, his second choice for a capstone project was creating tactile graphing tools for the visually impaired — like most of his ski-addicted classmates, his top pick was to work for Burton Snowboards. “I was very fortunate I didn’t get put on that project,” he laughs now. If he had, the 28-year-old entrepreneur may never have found what’s become his calling: bringing STEM skills to the blind…

“Accessible” Design Systems Don’t Guarantee Accessible Products

In late 2016, I helped pitch a design system all the way up to executives that included the CEO, COO, CPO, Head of Design, and other peers. The pitch’s mood shifted when accessibility came up: “Oh, our teams will make accessible products if they use the system? Sold!” Some embraced accessibility in the design system’s role to optimize quality and promote inclusivity as a core value. Others heralded that the system would cut costs (by solving challenges shared by many) and mitigate risk (by reducing litigation occurrence and/or scale)…

5 Things Your Organization Should Do to Improve Website Accessibility

With increased attention being given to situations where website design renders content inaccessible for people with disabilities, now’s a good time to keep in mind strategies to ensure users aren’t getting forgotten by your developers. Recently, the content management platform WordPress drew scrutiny for an overhaul that presented major accessibility challenges. These problems happened even though WordPress has a sizable team dedicated to accessibility and a heavy focus on the issue that many organizations do not…

Winter Accessibility for People with Disabilities

During the winter months many people take for granted the ability to get through piles of snow and ice, but for others in our community, it can be a daily struggle. “For people with disabilities the winter weather presents a lot of challenges, first just simply navigating getting in and out of your car in public places,” Shona Eakin, chief executive officer of Voices for Independence said. Often when snow is plowed, it can pile up on sidewalks, requiring someone to pack the snow down or move it out the way…

American Nightmare: How workers with disabilities are denied economic prosperity

“Workers paid only a few dollars per hour.” “Disabled workers exploited for profit.” “Employers pay next to nothing for manual labor.” If you read these headlines at the top of your newspaper, would you think you were reading about sweatshops in some distant developing country? If someone were to tell you that every day hundreds of thousands of workers with disabilities are paid less, typically far less, than the minimum wage in cities like Boston, Los Angeles, Cleveland, or Salt Lake City, would you believe them? Would the thought ever cross your mind that this could happen right here in the United States?…

Regional Building resisting suggestions to take over more accessibility inspections

The head of Pikes Peak Regional Building Department is resisting suggestions that the agency take on more responsibility in ensuring developments follow federal accessibility rules. “Any time you add more red tape, you increase costs because you increase time and time is money,” Regional Building Department chief Roger Lovell said this week. Regional Building is charged with making sure new buildings comply with accessibility standards, but its purview only extends 5 feet outside the buildings, while advocates for the disabled say it should include parking lots as well…

Veterans group seeks court’s help in making airplane bathrooms more accessible

A veterans group is turning to the courts for help in its efforts to make airplane bathrooms more accessible for travelers with disabilities. Paralyzed Veterans of America filed a lawsuit Thursday in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit asking the court to force the Transportation Department to restart efforts to make bathrooms on single-aisle aircraft accessible to those with disabilities. “Our suit is simply asking the [Transportation Department] to do what Congress directed them to do,” said Karianne Jones, an attorney with the Democracy Forward Foundation, which is representing the veterans group…

Why I Struggle Memorializing George H.W. Bush As A Liberal Woman With A Disability

Three weeks after Independence Day in 1990, a group of White House officials, organization leaders, people with disabilities and George H.W. Bush himself gathered to celebrate another day of independence – a different kind of independence, and one that would forever change lives. It was July 26, 1990, when Bush passed the Americans with Disabilities Act, a law prohibiting discrimination of those with physical and intellectual disabilities. The act was arguably Bush’s most important and influential piece of legislation during his presidency….

Deaf Pflugerville family gets much-needed home makeover before Christmas

About $15,000 worth of home repairs and one Pflugerville family won’t have to pay dime. This is after the community rallied together to give a deaf family of six a Christmas present they’ll never forget. “It’s like an extreme home makeover,” said Melanie Knox with Alden Roofing. It’s a home makeover for a deserving family in need of a few skilled hands. “When you first walk in the floor was very soft like sagging where it could break when you first walk in,” said Knox. “And, the door frame you could see right out so it wasn’t water tight. It wasn’t weather proofed.”…

Ed Department Reopening Hundreds Of Disability-Related Complaints

The U.S. Department of Education is reversing course after being sued over changes to its handling of disability discrimination complaints in schools. Just before Thanksgiving, the Education Department rescinded a provision adopted in March that allowed the agency’s Office for Civil Rights to dismiss any complaint that is part of a pattern of complaints by the same person or group that places an “unreasonable burden on OCR’s resources.” As part of the changes earlier this year, the department also eliminated the appeals process for complaints…

National Federation of the Blind and Disability Rights North Carolina Sue UNC Health Care and Nash UNC Health Care

Today, the National Federation of the Blind and Disability Rights North Carolina, along with individual blind plaintiffs, filed suit against the UNC Health Care System, Nash UNC Health Care, and contractors for systematically discriminating against blind patients in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act, and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The lawsuit alleges that blind patients do not receive critical communications in alternate formats – such as Braille, large print, or electronic documents – only standard print…

American Airlines passenger left in wheelchair overnight after flight home was cancelled

Security Footage Shows Woman in Wheelchair Was Not Stranded in Airport Overnight

A 67-year-old woman who has trouble walking was reportedly left in a wheelchair overnight after her flight from Chicago to Detroit was cancelled on Friday. Olimpia Warsaw’s son Claude Coltea told CBS Chicago that she had flown to Chicago to attend her ex-husband’s funeral. On the way there, her luggage was lost. On the way back, she was abandoned in the airport. Her son reportedly dropped her off at her gate, checked that her flight was on time, and then headed to catch his own flight. But when her flight ended up getting cancelled, no one helped her get to a hotel, according to her son…

How to tackle AI bias for people with disabilities

Today is International Day of Persons with Disabilities. It’s an occasion to promote the well-being of people with disabilities in every aspect of life. AI-based systems are already making a difference, but they are not a panacea. We must be diligent in how we build AI models and adjust if and when things go askew. In the wake of several examples of unwanted bias in AI systems, many AI developers are acutely aware of the need to treat marginalized groups fairly, especially for race and gender…

Campus accessibility: preparing for the future

Find something you are passionate about and use your strengths to carry out a task related to it. When Abby Donkers got this as her assignment for her Leadership in Action class, she knew exactly what she wanted to do: raise awareness about accessibility for future architects. Donkers, a senior agriculture leadership major, uses a wheelchair. She decided her project would be to have architecture students at South Dakota State University use a wheelchair on campus for a day to see what it’s like…

Promises Broken: Persons with Disabilities Still Face Barriers to Participation at the United Nations

Persons with disabilities still lack access to many United Nations and affiliated forums and programs, despite the organization’s mandate of inclusiveness and support for human rights causes, according to a new study conducted by American University’s Institute on Disability and Public Policy (IDPP) and supported by a grant from The Nippon Foundation. Entitled Accessibility in Global Governance: The (In)visibility of Persons with Disabilities, the study is the first systematic attempt to examine accessibility barriers in international policymaking…

Colleges, including Saint Rose, hit with website lawsuits

The College of Saint Rose is among the most recent targets of a series of lawsuits filed against colleges and other organizations related to their websites. The plaintiffs say the legal actions represent a growing movement to make online portals more accessible to the disabled — in this case, the blind or visually impaired. Attorneys for the defendants categorize them as nuisance suits. In a suit filed in federal district court, New York City resident Jason Camacho, who is legally blind, contends that the Saint Rose website violates the Americans with Disabilities Act since it can’t accommodate special software that would let him use the site…

Fairfax tries a new way to reserve accessible parking for those who need it

It’s the holiday season and the malls are crowded. Parking spots, especially those close to entrances, are at a premium – even more so for people with a handicapped. So, Fairfax County officials are trying a new idea to keep those accessible spots free for those who really need them. They’re calling it “empathy parking.” Signs saying “Think of Me, Park Legally” are being placed under the standard ADA accessible parking signs. It’s a project of the Fairfax Area Commission on Aging and the Fairfax Area Disability Services Board…

Local Photographer Documents the MTA’s Lack of Accessibility

We’re always on top of the MTA to improve the subways. But for disabled people in the city, there are a number of other issues. Of the 472 subway stations in the city, only 118 of them are considered accessible stations. Since moving to New York City, Nolan Ryan Trowe, a member of the disabled community says the city isn’t made for disabled people. He’s had to ask police officers to help him down the stairs with his wheelchair in stations that do not have elevators. “It was really surprising to see the lack of accessibility in New York City, considering it’s one of the greatest cities in the world,” Trowe said…

Want to Learn Sign Language? Take an Uber

After it was criticized and sued by disability advocates for failing to meet accessibility standards, multinational rideshare company Uber is working to become more inclusive, according to Malcom Glenn, Uber’s head of global policy, accessibility, and underserved communities. Glenn spoke Tuesday at a conference on transportation and disability in Tel Aviv. On Tuesday, New York City officials voted to set the U.S.’ first minimum pay rate for app-based drivers. The rate is set at $17.22 per hour after expenses, or $26.51 gross per hour, but it was mandated that drivers of wheelchair accessible vehicles will earn a higher wage…

Working to get children of color tested early for autism: Stigma, access barriers to needed services

Web Accessibility and autism

Black and Hispanic children continued to be less likely to be identified with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) than white children. These differences suggest that Black and Hispanic children may face socioeconomic or other barriers that lead to a lack of or delayed access to evaluation, diagnosis, and services. That is the assessment from the Center for Disease Control’s 2018 “Community Report on Autism.” Keep in mind, the report is not suggesting Black kids are less likely to have autism, they are just less likely to be diagnosed…

MBTA Reaffirms Accessibility Goals with Amended Agreement

Yesterday, the MBTA and the Boston Center for Independent Living signed an Amended Settlement Agreement that sets forth updated achievable goals in the MBTA’s plan to bring about a more accessible transit system. “While the MBTA is pleased to reach such an important milestone, we will continue to work with stakeholders to improve access to the T for people of all abilities through the Riders’ Transportation Access Group,” said MBTA General Manager Luis Manuel Ramírez…

Myths and Misconceptions About Parents Who Are Blind

If You Join A Facebook group for blind parents, there are certain topics that come up again and again. What is the best car seat to use, when you don’t drive and will therefore be installing and uninstalling your child’s car seat in an Uber or Lyft vehicle several times a day? What is the easiest baby stroller to pull behind yourself while you’re using a cane or a guide dog? What are some strategies to help your kids with their homework, when all their textbooks are in print? And why, oh why, do people have such completely inaccurate ideas about blind parents?…

A Photographer Turns A Lens On His Father’s Alzheimer’s

At first, Stephen DiRado thought his dad was dealing with depression. Gene DiRado, then in his late 50s, had become more withdrawn, more forgetful. So Stephen processed his growing concern by doing what he’d done since the age of 12: taking photographs. It was the 1980s, and Stephen schlepped his 8×10 camera and tripod over to his parents’ home in Marlborough, Mass., to check in on Gene and make portraits of him. “I was running toward him with the sense of fear that something was wrong,” Stephen says now about those years…

Professors, student groups hope to make discipline of disability studies a campus conversation

As universities create programs of study focusing on identity, disability studies has historically been left out. But some students and professors are trying to change that. At a recent seminar sponsored by the Duke Franklin Institute for Humanities, Kathy McMahon-Klosterman, professor emerita of educational psychology at Miami University of Ohio, shared some of her strategies for creating supportive, inclusive and accessible spaces for disabled individuals…

Roanoke City Schools discover hundreds of students may be color-blind

For the first time, thousands of Roanoke City school children were tested for color blindness this school year. Hundreds have been identified as color vision deficient and district officials think it should be taken seriously by the entire commonwealth. Dr. Elizabeth Martin’s son Alex is colorblind. They noticed when he started having trouble in the classroom. “Sometimes he wouldn’t see pastel chalk on a chalkboard,” Martin recalled during an interview in July. She said Alex’s teacher made adjustments, but Dr. Martin worried Alex’s peers may be struggling, too – undiagnosed…

Alt Tags and Accessibility: How Marketers Can Better Show Audiences the Full Picture

As marketers, we talk so much about the images we use in our campaigns, whether we’re taking a risk on creating a comic series, asking our everyday influencers to add personal snapshots in the blog posts they’re writing, or ensuring we promote diversity in the stock photography we choose. From advances in voice technology, interactive content experiences, and growing interest in visual and video content, the digital materials marketers are creating are becoming increasingly complex and incorporating more multimedia initiatives…

Kids with disabilities will get first shot at accessible schools

Kids with disabilities will get first shot at seats in the public schools that are accessible to them under a new enrollment policy announced by Mayor de Blasio on Thursday. The change starts in the 2019-20 school year that begins in September and replaces an existing rule under which students with disabilities received no consideration when applying to accessible schools. A 2018 tally by the nonprofit Advocates for Children found that only 335 of 1,818 public schools in the city were fully equipped for students with disabilities, with items such as wheelchair ramps and elevators to allow students get to class…

WPU student overcomes challenges faced with color blindness

Taylor Steel has been color blind his whole life. It wasn’t until the eighth grade when a visit to an optometrist revealed the disease. The junior from Oskaloosa, Iowa is majoring in information technology, has a minor in digital communications and is a director for KYOU News. “There are a lot of logical things that I put together in grade school, it was more do x, y and z rather than it is your choice, that is why I was able to go most of my life without realizing that I was color blind,” Steel said…

Jack Fact — A survey of parents across the United States estimates that one in 40 children has autism spectrum disorder, according to a study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics. In other words, the condition was reported in 2.5% of children, representing an estimated 1.5 million kids ages 3 to 17. A report released this year by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated the prevalence at one in 59 children or about 1.7%, based on 2014 data.

International News

‘Patchy’ refuge access for disabled women in Wales

Disability access at women’s refuges is patchy across Wales with some areas having only one or no accessible places, figures for the BBC suggest. About 30% of the 157 of refuge spaces in Wales are accessible to those with a disability, according to responses to a Freedom of Information request. Welsh Women’s Aid said disabled women were more likely to be in an abusive relationship than non-disabled women. The charity said the issues were putting lives at risk…

ARK helps mobility-challenged boy achieve a better quality of life

A Calgary boy and his family are experiencing a better quality of life thanks to a local not-for-profit that is dedicated to improving the lives of children and their families through home renovations. Accessibility Renovations for Kids, or ARK for short, was founded two years ago in response to a growing need in Calgary to help families with children who struggle with mobility issues. “The whole idea is to create greater accessibility within the home — basically whatever makes it easier for a child to live…

Two Months On, Here’s How Disabled Gamers Feel About the Xbox Adaptive Controller

Back in September, Microsoft made history with the first mass-market video game controller designed with disabled gamers first and foremost in mind. The Xbox Adaptive Controller, which won this year’s Golden Joystick award for best innovation, was developed in conjunction with the charity Special Effect (which has spent years designing bespoke controller solutions for gamers with unique needs), and the design’s guiding principle was accessibility and flexibility. A device that could work for and adapt to as many gamers as possible…

Opinion: Is your event inclusive?

I had a shocking realisation recently, that many event planners are unintentionally saying to every 5th person they market to: “Don’t come to our event and learn more about us.” Let me explain further, according to Australian Network On Disability, over 4 million people in Australia, or 1 in 5, have some form of disability. Therefore, when digital assets such as websites, online registration, event apps and digital signage are not accessible, this inadvertently excludes the 1 in 5 people that have a disability…

Oman Ranked Among Top 10 Globally For Providing Digital Access To The Disabled

Oman has been ranked among the top ten performers globally and first regionally in the Digital Accessibility Rights Evaluation (DARE) Index. Conducted by The Global Initiative for Inclusive ICTs (G3ict), the index aims to benchmark digital accessibility for persons with disabilities (PWDs). The DARE Index, in its first edition, surveyed 121 country report cards, rankings and analysis aimed at providing global benchmarks for disability advocates, governments and private sector organisations to assess their progress and identify opportunities in implementing digital accessibility for PWDs…

A woman on the New South Wales Central Coast is behind a growing anti-discrimination campaign demanding changes to the way people in wheelchairs can buy tickets to major sporting and cultural events. For most people, booking tickets is a simple as a click of a button but that is not the case if you are a person with a disability. Stephanie Travers is in a wheelchair. But like any young independent person, she enjoys going to live concerts with friends and family. But just booking a ticket is an ordeal…

Inclusion, accessibility now make a statement

Accessibility and inclusivity have been the buzzwords of 2018. Leading the charge for progressive-thinking attitudes is Udaipur-based charitable organisation Narayan Seva Sansthan. On the eve of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the sansthan will hold a Divyang Talent and Fashion show at the Red Fort on December 2, 2018. The programme will have performances by differently-abled on wheelchair, crutches and calipers and those with artificial limbs. Each round will have 10 differently-abled models walking the ramp; every differently abled model will be supported by an able model…

The accessibility and inclusion tipping point

Elsewhere, a series of ground-breaking TV programs, including ABC’s Employable Me and You Can’t Ask That, busted stereotypes and confronted the discrimination of people living with a disability. The programs revealed the challenges facing blind people, people with facial differences, those who use wheelchairs and short statured people. Meanwhile in Canberra, 23-year old Senator Jordon Steele-John ran into problems in his new working life at Parliament House because of the below-par accessibility standards of the building – including accessing the Parliamentary chamber.

Implementing accessibility laws is imperative

The theme for this year’s IDPD focuses on the Empowering Persons with dis-Abilities for inclusiveness, equal opportunity and equality in daily life. Life is all about accessing with equal opportunity and safety to what you need and what you desire day-to-day. Hence, accessibility with SAFETY to all parts of Buildings and Services (includes Transport) the public needs to access and use in daily life, is not only an inherent right but an essential prerequisite…

Launch of Accessibility Guide for Government Agencies

Minister for Disability Issues Carmel Sepuloni has announced a new guide on accessible information on the United Nations’ international day for celebrating disabled people. “As part of today’s celebrations, I have great pleasure in launching the Accessibility guide, Leading the way in accessible information,” Carmel Sepuloni said. The Accessibility Guide gives the state sector guidance on how to increase accessibility to information through the use of inclusive language and design, and alternate formats such as New Zealand Sign Language, Easy Read and Braille…

Disability champions set to open industry doors

The champions will use their influential status as leaders in their industries to promote the benefits of being inclusive to disabled people across 6 new areas: fashion, technology, countryside and heritage, website accessibility, food and drink and product design. Poor access can restrict many areas of disabled people’s lives, from online shopping to enjoying the country’s natural beauty. The new champions will join the existing 14 champions who are already driving improvements to the accessibility of services and facilities in a range of sectors, including banking, music and tourism…

Home care not keeping up with demand

The Government’s Home Care Packages Data Report (1st Quarter 2018-19) shows almost 92,000 Australians are now receiving Home Care Packages (HCPs) – a record annual growth rate of 29 percent. The report also shows 30,150 home care packages were released from 1 July – 30 September 2018, with 126,732 on the national queue awaiting HCPs at their approved level. The report reveals waiting times of over 12 months for approved levels of support – starting with an average 3-6 month wait to access a level 1 package…

Advocates urge Senate to improve national accessibility law

Disability activists say Ottawa has ignored their calls to strengthen Canada’s first national accessibility legislation and are urging the Senate to intervene. More than 90 groups, including the Council of Canadians with Disabilities and Ontario-based ARCH Disability Law, say the proposed Accessible Canada Act, passed by Parliament Nov. 27, is too weak to achieve its goal of making Canada barrier-free for over five million Canadians with disabilities. They want the Senate to hold public hearings next year and make amendments to improve the legislation before it becomes law…

UK to appoint new disability champion for restaurants and pubs

The UK government is set to hire a new food and drink disability champion to educate customers on accessibility issues in restaurants and pubs. The new champion will join the 14 existing champions hired for other sectors such as hotels, airports, retail, media, advertising and tourism. The champion will be responsible for addressing accessibility issues faced by people with disabilities across restaurants and bars and will focus on working with foodservice operators to raise awareness on enhancing access and customer service, as well as staff training, reported The Caterer…

Government recruiting a fashion disability champion

The Department for Works and Pensions has announced that it will be recruiting a new fashion industry disability champion to help tackle the issues disabled people face as consumers. Announced on International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December 3) the Government stated that there will be six new disability champions, who will use their influential status as leaders in their industries to promote the benefits of being inclusive to disabled people across fashion, technology, countryside and heritage, website accessibility, food and drink and product design…

How to normalise the way we look towards people with disabilities

It is not clear what Aya Aghabi expected when she called Daniel Sharaiha, chief human resources officer and customer experience at Bank Al Etihad. Aghabi, founder of “Accessible Jordan”, an online guide to places accessible around Amman and touristic destinations in Jordan, explained to the bank official the fact that many of their branches are missing the basic infrastructure to make them accessible to people with disabilities. As Sharaiha explained at a UNESCO-sponsored event on the International Day of Disabled Persons, the call hit him like a thunderbolt….

Government charged to implement disability law

The Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) has called for the full implementation of the Disability Act passed 10 years ago. According to CDD-Ghana, persons with disabilities (PWDs) in the country continue to have major challenges in accessing and making use of public infrastructure despite the passage of the law which was to ensure inclusiveness and equality for all. “CDD-Ghana is disappointed that since the passage of the Act in 2006, and the ratification of the UN Convention on the Right of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in 2012, successive governments have flouted and/or disregarded the provisions of the law,”…

Shanghai-based volunteers assist visually impaired runners

At the Shanghai International Marathon held last month, a group of visually impaired runners appeared particularly notable among the tens of thousands of other runners. Although they were visually impaired or totally blind, they still had the courage to break through their own limits. Running side by side with them were a group of unimpaired guides who acted as their “eyes.” Both visually impaired runners and their unimpaired guides call each other “lanjingling,” which is also the name of the activities organized by beYoureyeS, a local NGO dedicated to promoting sports accessibility to make it easier for the visually impaired to enjoy sports…

How Robot Carers Could Be The Future For Lonely Elderly People

The film Robot and Frank imagined a near-future where robots could do almost everything humans could. The elderly title character was given a “robot butler” to help him continue living on his own. The robot was capable of everything from cooking and cleaning to socialising (and, it turned out, burglary). This kind of science fiction may turn out to be remarkably prescient. As growing numbers of elderly people require care, researchers believe that robots could be one way to address the overwhelming demand…

Don’t Count Them Out Just Yet: Australia’s Tech Boomers

The speed of technological advancement has forced Baby Boomers to update their attitudes as well as their operating systems. Media owners, publishers and the technology industry as a whole can sometimes overlook a key demographic that deserves more attention: Baby Boomers. Traditionally this group (aged between 55 and 74) has been characterised as users of more traditional communication and media – home phones, print news, email and text messages. However, new research signals that Australian Boomers are keeping pace with changing technology and shouldn’t be overlooked by marketers…

Rada backs ban on startup of new buildings without accessibility logistics for people with disabilities

Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada has passed at first reading a bill, introducing a ban on the startup of new residential buildings and facilities for public activities without accessibility logistics for people with disabilities in Ukraine. Bill No. 7370 amending the law on regulation of town planning activities was backed by 230 lawmakers on Tuesday. The press service of Deputy Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Utilities Economy Minister Lev Partskhaladze reported that the document is intended to simplify accessibility logistics for people with disabilities and other physically challenged people…

Government seeks ‘disability champions’ in six market sectors

New “disabled champions” will be hired by the government to promote inclusivity to businesses missing out on the £249 billion annual spending power of disabled people. The government will aim to use the status of the champions as influential leaders in their industries to promote the benefits of being inclusive to disabled people. As poor access can restrict many areas of disabled people’s lives, champions will be chosen to represent six new areas: fashion, technology, countryside and outdoors, website accessibility, food and drink and product design…

Government to use new building code to solve accessibility challenges for PWDs

Persons with disability task government to ensure disability-friendly buildings

Deputy Works and Housing Minister Eugene Boakye Antwi has government will rely on the newly launched Ghana building code to solve issues of accessibility to public infrastructures for Persons Living with Disabilities (PWD) in the country. According to him, government is doing all it can to address issues confronting PWDs, saying, “All the concerns raised will be fully addressed.” “Since independence, this country has not had a building code, but fortunately some weeks back, the Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia launched Ghana’s first building code,” the Minister said Wednesday…

YVR is first airport to get gold-level accessibility rating

Preparing for travel, navigating the airport, going through security and flying can all be stressful experiences. Add in mobility, vision or hearing impairments and that stress could be magnified significantly. Vancouver International Airport has taken several measures to ensure the airport can be navigated by all of its employees, passengers and partners. And, on Wednesday, YVR was recognized for its efforts with the Rick Hansen Foundation’s “accessibility certified gold” rating…

Elyse Lappano (BPhEd ’11, MA ’13) believes it’s a mistake for society to underestimate people with disabilities. “We take for granted what they can do and what their skill set actually is,” she said. Lappano, Brock’s Experiential Education Co-ordinator, Inclusive and Adaptive Programs, was honoured with the University’s Accessibility and Inclusion Award in a ceremony Monday, Dec. 3 — a day recognized around the world as International Day of Persons with Disabilities…

Ramp Made with Recycled Plastic Will Allow People with Disabilities to Get to the Sea, in Jacó

A ramp -or footbridge- so that people with disabilities can reach the sea in a safer and more comfortable way will be placed in the area of Madrigales, in Jacó. The project is currently planned by the Municipality of Garabito, the Costa Rican Network of Accessible Tourism, and the Surf Federation. In addition, it has the support of the Plura organization, which leads the development of initiatives and products that promote respect for the rights of people with disabilities, in terms of inclusive tourism, accessibility, and labor inclusion…

Auckland Transport aims to make public transport accessible, easy and affordable for everyone. While the AT HOP card has made travelling around Auckland simpler and more affordable, the agency was cognisant a certain sector of the community – the visually impaired – had specific issues in using the card. These customers were finding it hard to read the digital balance displays on buses and trains. They also had difficulties logging into and using the AT HOP online portal because the content was not optimised for screen readers…

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